


What comes next?

by orphan_account



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Divorced parents, F/F, F/M, I have little self control, John is a new dad, Lams - Freeform, M/M, Obviously the kids are not the same age historically, Other, Single Parents, alex got caught cheating, basically it’s a family AU no one asked for, but here we are, but it’s fan fiction, but not immediately, honestly just prepare for some parent trap shit, honestly this was spur of the moment, i had no fucking plan for this, its about to get real Disney up in here, so fight me, these kids are full of shenanigans, we get a little bit of angst up in here
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-06
Updated: 2018-06-11
Packaged: 2019-05-19 02:52:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14865239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: John never wanted to be a dad, but life had other plans for him and Frances so he’s determined to make the best like for his daughter.Alexander newly divorced, has no idea what to do with himself as he and Eliza share custody of their eight kids.Maria wasn’t expecting to fall in love with Eliza, but how’s she going to keep her ex-husband at bay and away from her new life. Sometimes that involves finding friends in unlikely places.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This wasn’t planned, I have no idea what I’m doing. It’s cute to imagine. So I’m just Messing around. It’s fucking tumblrs fault.

John doesn’t know how to be a dad.

 

In reality he never wanted to be a dad, he never wanted to corrupt and mistreat a child the same way his father treated him. He didn’t want to be responsible for a child after the incident with his youngest brothers death.

Jemmy had fallen and cracked his head open, under Johns supervision and guardianship. If he wasn’t even responsible enough to handle a brother just a few years younger than him, how could he handle a child?

But then Martha got pregnant and things changed. It was an accident really, they were just teenagers. John was still reeling over his break up with Francis, his desire to change everything about himself.

So he left.

He begged his father to leave boarding school in London, promised to pursue law like he wanted, if he just got him away from his mistakes.

But children are not so simple. Especially when eight years later, a curly haired, freckled blonde child is at his front door. His youngest sister, Mary holding her hand.

He knew of Martha’s passing away, he knew this day was coming. However he wasn’t expecting her to look so much like him.

Wide innocent green eyes, lightly tanned skin and freckles, she had her mother's button nose and gold hair, but had his curls. His eyes. This was unnerving.

If he was going to be a father, he would be a better one than his was. Walking towards her, he leans down so he is eye level, speaking as gently as he can.

“Welcome to your new home Frances.” She frowns at him, her green eyes downcast at the floor between them. A small _hmph_ was let out in response making Johns press his lips into a thin line.

“Thank you for taking me in, Mr. Laurens.” She adds, her green eyes are watering. He realizes that she’s about to cry, but he knows that look. It’s the one he used to get when he was angry as a child. So it seemed she was also an angry cryer. Like him. 

“I’m your dad, you can call me that.” He reaches out to pat her hair. Giving his sister a withering look, pleading for help.

Frances doesn’t respond, so instead, John just stands up and offers out his hand, we got a room all set up for you.” He tells her, it was somewhat true, she would be sleeping in Johns room, until they could empty the study out and get her a bedroom to herself. Instead of taking her hand, she just holds on to his sisters. Letting Mary lead her in.

-.-.-

 

Frances doesn’t speak much- it makes his house tense. John isn’t sure if it’s because she’s angry, still mourning, or just flat out hates him. Mary stays the week to help the little girl adjust and help John kick his paternal instinct into high gear, which is apparently little to none. All he knows is, next week his sister will leave and he will be a father on his own.

God help them both.

Mary acts as their go between Frances and John. She refuses to speak to him but will take her lunch from his sister. Their father generously offering to pay for Frances to get new clothes, to find a school. Find a townhouse in the city that’s less cramped. Anything to assert his control of the situation. And while he can’t say no to what he buys for his daughter, he can say no to everything else.

 

On Friday, Mary takes Frances out shopping while John works on packing up his study. Perhaps it’s because Frances returns in a better mood, that it puts them all into a better mood, but something is different when both women return home. Mary and Frances both carrying handfuls of bags.

When he comes down the stairs to see them dropping bags on to the counter, he can’t help but smile a little. “I got in touch with the school.” He tells them as his daughters mood seems to damper just a little.

“Oh, Jackie. Do we have to talk about that right now?” Mary gives him a pointed look at Frances who moves to sit down at the coffee table in the living room. Digging through the bags as if she’s intently looking for something.

“She can’t stay like this forever. School and life. It must go on.” Mary gives him a sharp look, smacking her brothers arm and dragging into into the kitchen out of earshot.

“She’s eight- she just lost her mother! Moved to another country to live with a father she’s never met. You can’t push her hard, she’s a child.” Mary hisses at him, John can’t help but flinch, it’s times like these. Mary protective motherly instinct reminds him of their own mother.

“I understand that Mary, but we also can’t dance around the subject. I’m trying my best Mary, but you know-“ his words get caught in his throat. Mary is youngest sister, the baby, the sweet one. Martha look after their father when it come to strictness, Mary was just like their mother. It made it easy to tell her everything. He came out to her first. She knew he was gay, she knew is fears, his hopes and dreams.

“Jack, why don’t you try opening up to her first, she’s a lot like you.” She offers tapping his cheeks before turning to head up the stairs. Taking a deep breath, he walks back into the living room, Frances sitting at the table now, he sees that she’s pulled out a coloring book, only she's not coloring, she’s flipped the pages over so she could draw. Sitting down across from her she sees her green eyes flick up to look at him, wide eyes glassy.

“are you gonna send me back to live with Aunty Martha?” Her words are so soft John almost doesn’t hear them.

“Not at all.” He assures her, she relaxes just a little. “I’m your father, you’ll be with me.” The words sound so foreign as they touch his lips. “What are you drawing?” He asks, peeking over, Frances looks up at him, moving her hands so she can see the picture.

“One time, we went to see the baby turtles on the beach. I love them.” Laurens can feel his heart melting, smiling quietly to himself.

“Turtles are my favorite too.” He tells her. “I used to love drawing too.” He adds, Slowly he reaching out to pick up a crayon. “May I help?” He asks as she nods not saying anything as John begins coloring one of her misshapen turtles. They sit like that in silence, John watching as she visibly relaxes just a little more, and perhaps he’s relaxing more too.

“Fanny, we have to enroll you in school, okay?” He tells her. “How about we go to the school tomorrow and then afterwards we will get some ice cream.” It’s a bribe, but he finds he wants Frances to talk to him. He will do anything.

“Okay.” She finally agrees, looking up at him to give him a small smile. Even If he didn’t want to be a father before, he is now, and he won’t disappoint Frances. He wouldn’t be like his own father.

Instead he just reached out to pat her head affectionately, both of them returning to their picture. He could do this.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eliza and John meet, they’re fast friends.  
> Seven kids you say???   
> But they had eight?????  
> Well I guess you’ll find out. :)

Raising seven kids with a husband was already a full time job, but now raising seven children by yourself? It was proving to be a much more difficult task than Eliza expected. 

Yet there was no time to sulk, not when she was constantly busy. Between fighting with divorce lawyers and taking care of a full house- it was suffice to say, Eliza was spreading herself very thin. 

Thank god for Maria. Her rock in this messy affair. Literally, Maria was the other woman not only in Alexander’s life- but in hers as well. They found solace after the affair in each other. Both too broken and scorned to even thinking about being around another man. She forgave Maria easier than her soon to be ex-husband. Maria’s plight had touched her heart. James was a monster. Forcing his wife into schemes, using her body for his gain. Eliza genuinely hoped she would never meet that monster face to face. 

Because then her children would have neither parent. 

“Mama, are you okay?” Her oldest child’s voice was penetrating the thoughts, Philip was wise for his age, he picked up on nearly everything. Just like his father. Big brown eyes and freckled cheeks, gave off the air of innocence, but he was smart- too smart sometimes. 

“Sorry sweetie.” She gives him a small pat on the head. 

“Can I help you make the sandwiches.” He asked as he looked up at her, even at 8 he was such a big boy. Working so hard with his siblings. It hurt her heart to think he was growing up faster than he needed too. 

“Get the step stool from the pantry then.” She nods once as her son scurries off, behind her she can hear the doors creaking open and the scraping against tile floor as he plops the plastic step stool down next to her and stands on it. “Did miss Maria fix you hair?” She asked him, inspecting how tame the curls were, pulled back in a little ponytail.

“Yea ma, She’s dressin’ the babies now.” He tells her, sticking his tongue out in thought as he tries to put the sandwiches for their lunches together. They work together, making the five separate lunches and bagging them up. By the time they finished the house was alive with four more children, running wildly. Maria appearing from the hallway close behind them, sporting two toddlers in each arm looking like an angel, gliding over to her with a kiss on her cheek. 

“You’re okay at home while I drop off the kids?” She asked, Maria raised an eyebrow to question if she truly had a choice in the matter. “Fair point.” She agrees quickly, they both had their hands full with eight children.

 

Eliza dropped off the youngest two boys John and James off at daycare first, not old enough to start school, but too old to be at home. Her other three Philip, Angelica, and Alex jr. staggered between 3rd grade and kindergarten. Walking with Angelica’s hand in hers and Alex’s in her other one, Phillip skipped ahead, chatting his head off in excitement. 

“My teach says we got a new student.” He tells her happily. 

“Have.” She corrects his speech affectionately. 

“We _have_ a new student.” The eight year old turns his nose up for a second before continuing. 

“I hope they’ll be super cool. Do ya think they’re gonna like turtles too?” He asks eagerly making Eliza chuckle. 

“It’s possible.” She grins. 

“Not everyone’s gotta like turtles pip.” Angelica retorts, Philip just turns around walking backwards to stick his tongue out at his sister. 

“You’re just jealous Angie.” He snickers in return. 

“Am not!”

“Are too!” Their berating exchange continues as Eliza tries to shush her children. 

“Philip walk correctly you’re going to-“ her words fall out too late, as her son slams into a little girl, toppling both of them over. 

Eliza’s expression grows horrified as she rushes to the children’s aid. The father looking uncomfortably startled as they detangle the children. 

“I’m so sorry, Philip apologize to the girl.” She reprimands her son as Philip gives the girl a meek look and a mumbled apology. 

She has a similar mess of curls to her own boy, only the girls hair is a sandy blonde, wide green eyes stare over at Philip. A small touch of anger dancing behind them. Her father leaning down to ask if she’s okay. 

“Frances, be polite. It was an accident.” It sounds like he’s begging.  Eliza realizes quickly he has no idea what he’s doing. The man is fumbling, and as being a mother of eight she knows full well that you can’t fumble in front of a child. 

“It’s quite alright.” She assures him as the blonde girl refuses to speak. Her tiny lips pressed together into a thin line. 

“I already apologized ma.” Philip crossing his arms over his chest. 

“I know Philip, please take your brother and sister to their classes for mom okay?” She tasks the boy they’re just outside the school and teachers are watching, she needs to diffuse the mess. Squatting down she kisses all three off her children’s cheeks goodbye. Adding gentle assurances of love as Her oldest takes their hands and pulled them into the school. 

Both the father and daughter looked at an awkward loss. “Frances right?” She leans down to look at the girl, her green eyes darting up to look at her dad, stressed. Slowly she nods. “Are you hurt anywhere Frances, you fell pretty hard.” Frances shakes her head, but Eliza gently presses her for words. “You’ll have to tell me.”

“No…” a soft English accent floats from her words as she huffs them out. 

“I’m very happy to hear that Frances, tell me, what grade are you in?” She asks her, the girls eyes flick up to her father again, who is watching Eliza as if she’s just turned water into wine. 

“3rd grade, tell her you’re in third.” He gives her an assuring nudge as Frances looks back to Eliza. 

“3rd.” She parrots his words. 

“That’s just like my boy Philip.” She coos happily. “You make him apologize again for knocking over a pretty girl like you, okay?” She teases her as her mouth fights back a smile, her distrust edging away just a little. 

“Okay.” She agrees. Standing up straight she takes in the father now. Long, curly hair pulled back into half a ponytail, pinned away from his face, a narrow jaw and nose with green eyes mirroring his daughters. He’s got a weirdly innocent expression that makes Eliza want to protect him. 

“I’m Elizabeth, call me Eliza.” She offers to him. 

“John, and as you met- this is Frances.” Funny, he doesn’t seem to have the same English accent his daughter does. No, instead his has just a hint of southern twang to it. 

“Do you need help finding the front office?” She asks him, he gives her a grateful smile before nodding. “I’ll lead you then.” Eliza offers, motioning them to follow her. 

 

Frances teacher is waiting for them as they walk across school grounds towards the office in silence. Eliza can’t help but hover as John and the teacher speak to each other, little Frances listening beneath them as she introduced herself, taking Frances away from John. 

“Thank you for your help, it’s been hard to get her to open up.” John turned to Eliza as soon as Frances was out of earshot, following her teacher. 

“Children can he distrustful when they can sense how uncomfortable you are.” She adds dryly, Johns face seems to grow red from embarrassment. “Can I ask?” Eliza prompts him, they fall into step beside each other, heading towards the exit. 

“Frances mother passed away recently, we were young when she was born and I was unprepared to be a father for a multitude of reasons.” He tries to explain. 

“Well now there is no choice is there?” She gives him a huff of exasperation. 

“No, but I’ll make the best of it for her sake.”

“Good man.” Eliza grins at him, she watches him grin back. “Would you like to get a coffee?” She asks him, it more on a whim than anything, as expected John accepts. 

  
  


“My ex-husband could take some lessons in responsibility from you.” She tells him as they sit across from each other in the Starbucks a few blocks from the school. 

“I wouldn’t say I’ve acted responsibly…” John trails off, clearly trying to push the compliment back.

“He takes the kids every weekend per custody agreement. I wish Philip wouldn’t idolize his father so much. He’s bound to get his heart broken by him. That’s what he does. He breaks the hearts of his loved ones.” Eliza’s in her own mind now, taking a sip of her tea between bursts of their conversation. 

“So he broke your heart?”

“Why else would we be getting a divorce?” John blanches at the response, but doesn’t say anything more. He’s like an open book, something Eliza appreciates about her newfound friend. “He was cheating on me. Sloppily I might add, because her husband started blackmailing him for money. The whole scandal was so over the top. Yet that’s what happens, everything that bastard does is over the top.” 

“So wait, they used the affair to blackmail him or used blackmail to have the affair?” John tried to follow her story, chugging down his coffee. 

“The first one.” Eliza corrects him. “I only found out because Maria came clean and wanted to get out from under her husbands thumb, he was using her, hurting her, of course I helped. I know I should have been angry with her, but this was literally all his fault.” Her brown eyes seem to darken as John just nods thoughtfully, wisely keeping his mouth shut. “We didn’t expect to fall in love. Maria and I. At first I was just helping her, but the kids loved her. Then I grew to love her.” Her expression softens just a little as she pushes her hands around the edge of the cup, thinking about Maria always seemed to make her chest hurt. How much she endured under James thumb, how earnest and kind she still seemed to be. 

“We had Frances out of a one nightstand. My boyfriend had just dumped me, my father was pressuring me. I stupidly thought I could force myself to like women. And one time was all it took.” Eliza looks up at John, she can see how nervous he is, his green eyes filled to the brim with troubled thoughts. His brow creasing as he stares at his coffee. “I’m not proud of leaving Martha to raise Frances on her own. After my little brothers death, I didn’t think I would be a fit father.” He adds. On instinct Eliza reaches her hand out, touching the top of his fingers gently. 

“Do you still think that?” She asked him, her words soft. Yet John just stares at her, swallowing hard, refusing to speak. “You care a great deal for Frances. Even if you feel Inadequate. Trust me when I say, it will come with time. And until then…” she pauses picking up a pen from her purse she scribbles something hastily on a napkin. “Don’t be afraid to reach out.” She slides him the napkin. He nods once and folds it up, placing it in his pocket.

“My sisters left, it might be nice for Frances to have a woman in her life to open up too.” He agrees, both of them exchanging small smiles with each other. 

**Author's Note:**

> Just a simple opening. I’ll try to update once a week.


End file.
